Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-06-02
CALLING IN MEXICO.
Politeness and Meaningless Compliments
That Become Very TiresOme.


Politene.s and Meaningless Compliments
That Become Very TiresOme.
The extreme politeness of these
gentle Mexicans is sometimes but 3
short remove from the ridiculous, and
though their manners are kindness
personified it frequently strikes us that
Spanish compliments are as tiresome
as absurd. For example, in making q
social visit: When ladies appear at tn.
door of the sala de recibe PERCEPTION
room)-having been admitted thus far
by the porter who sits at the gate of
the casa-the hostess runs to receive
them as fast as her high heels will
allow. Mexican ladies have an air of
great dignity and perfect repose of
features when they sit and are seen to
best advantage in their carriages or the
alter boxes or on their sofas at home.
On foot, however, they simply wobble,
and when in haste their ungraceful-
ness of gait is of course intensified.
This is no doubt largely due to the
fact that they wear heels absurdly
high, placed almost in the center of
the foot. and always insist in wearing
a shoe at least an inch too short for the
foot.
She embraces each of her visitors in
turn. after curious fashion that took
us long to learn-not by an American 5
kiss, or Frenchwoman's hearty hug;
but each of the embraces Gf one may
be allowed to ccin word for the occa-
sion) puts her right hand upon the
others shoulder. the left hand near the
others heart, and leaning forward on
her toes just lays her cheek for an in
slant alongside the others neck. 1t
looks cordial, to say the least of it, but
beginners are sure to make bad work
at first. bobbing their heatls to the
wrong side and humping one another's
noses.
After this ceremony has been strictly
attended to all arOund-fOr neglecting
to embrace one of the callers would be
equivalent to giving her the worst
kind of ''cut direct''-the mistress of
the manse leads the way across the
sala to, the square of carpet at the
farther end, which is always bounded
on three sides by the sofa against the
wall and two rows of chairs planted
vis-a-vis. But before sitting down an
other ceremony must be gone through
with de rigueur. Says the hostess:
''Pray be seated. ladies'"
''Seat yourself, senorA" is the re-
spouse.
mo, no; passa r." she replies; and
so they keep it up indefinitely until it
begins to look as though they never
would sit down. Finally the deadlock
is broken by the eldest or most conse-
quential member of the party, who.
with an air of di gnified humility, re-
marks: "Taya! Well. to oblige you,
without further ceremony; l dislike
compliments. "
The lady who 10 considered of most
consequence, either by reason of age
or social position. is invariably seated
on the right-hand corner of the sofa
APPOINT in etiquette of great Importance
and the mistress of the casa on the
farthest chair. Then the following
dialogue takes place, with never the
slightest variation:
''How is your health, senorita? Are
you well?"
cat your service, senorita; and Your
sef?''
'.!Sin morcdad (without novclty); at
your service"
II am rejoiced. And You, how are
you, senorita?"
Eat your disposal; and YOURSELF"
"NH gracias Ca thousand thanks); at
your service.
After the entire round has been made
of these polite inquiries and replies
they begin over again:
land the senior, your husband, how
is he?''
"IMil gracics; at your disposal; with
out novelty. etc, through the gamut
"a ali tIclI cS, tilC
mothers down to the babies. This
takes some time, and if early in the
morning there is the additional ques-
ton, which must be put to every one
whom you meet before midday:
"Con,o passe Y. la nochc?' (How did
you pass the nightly TO be invariably
answered. whether well or i'll, by the
oft repeated: "a thousand thanks; at
your service, and yourself?'
All these empty compliments are
merely tokens of good will. without
serious meaning in them, and. in fact,
there is little real etiquette here, but
the most perfect la,sse= allcr in the
world. As everywhere else, even in
Mexico, where the temperature scarce
ly varies ten degrees in course of a
year, the weather affords a legitimate
topic for conversation. The slightest
change in the degree of heat or cold
opens the battery, and the occasional
surprise of dull skies or signs of rain is
a perfect bonanza in that direction.
The Wilt over, the ladies rc-embrace
all around, the lady of the house fol-